Disembarkation- by Nicky Rossiter (fiction novels to read .txt) 📕

retaining 2/- in the pound. To keep a register of vessels using the port and return same to the Secretary monthly. His salary shall be £40 per annum in addition to the above commissions.

The person must have been master or mate of a registered vessel and be not more than 55 years old."

"November 4th, 1862.

Resolved that no officer under the Wexford Harbour Commissioners supply to any person employed by or receiving money from him, drink, on pain of dismissal.

Signed, A. Walker."

This may have been an early Wexford attempt to stamp out a practice whereby men were paid their weekly wages in pubs and often felt obliged to buy the paymaster a drink, with the often tragic result of spending the entire wage on drink.

On a less appetising note,

"Resolved to seek tenders for a person to cleanse the quays and all avenues leading thereto. The successful candidate to receive the manure. They will be required to name two securities."

As was shown earlier, the tugboat played a very important part in the life of Wexford Port. Without such a craft, many of the sailing ships would have been unable to negotiate the

'Bar', because reliance on the wind made such precise navigation difficult. From the Commissioners Minutes we learn something of this boat in 1863.

"Resolved that Joseph Jumper be appointed engineer of the tug at £2 per week.

Ordered that the Secretary appoint 2 firemen at 15/- per week each, also a Boy.

Resolved that I Harbour and 2 Bar Pilots form the crew of the 'Ruby'.

Resolved that Salvage Money be distributed as follows:- If the amount is under £500, ¼ to be distributed among the crew after deducting any special expenses incurred in earning the salvage also the costs of any coals used when lengthy towing forms part of the service. In amounts over £500 Wexford Harbour Commissioners will decide the distribution.

The crew's proportions of the distribution shall be Master and Engineer, 1 ½ shares each; each pilot or seaman on board, 1 share each; two firemen and 1 boy to equally divide 2 shares. "

Salvage referred to vessels or goods abandoned by their crew and which the tugboat might recover. The division of the spoils shows the 'pecking order’ on the harbour 100 years ago.

Also in 1863, a new set of towage charges was put into operation.

Vessels with Cargo:-

From quay out 3d. per ton.

from island side out 2d. per ton (this probably meant the Ballast Bank) quay to island side 2d. per ton

bay or Hantoon to quay 4d. per ton

bay to island side 3d. per ton

islandside to quay 2d. per ton

All vessels in ballast in or out 2d. per ton.

There was 2d. per ton extra charged if the steamers hawser was used.

Later in 1863 a distinction was made between the first and second fireman on the tug, the former to receive £1 per week while the other got 15/=. The Commissioners also paid £5 to the widow of the engineer who had died, to "defray the expenses of his illness". There are also records of 4 pairs of Fir oars to be purchased for the pilot boats and 2 Life Poles for the quays. The firemen referred to were not fire fighters, but men who kept the steamer's boiler stoked up. The Life Poles were for plucking people from the water should they fall in.

The records for 1864 show Wexford with 37 ships masters.

They were:

John Hore, Castle Street; (probably Castle Hill St. or Barrack St.) John Murphy, William St.; James Kelly, John St.; Patrick Connolly, The Faythe; Patrick Rowe; Edward Rowe; James Kean, Chapel Lane (Church Lane or Mary St.); John Butler; James Sinnott; Pat Cogley, New Street (probably Parnell St.); Patrick Rochford, Kilmore ('Minerva'); Clement Busher ('Sybil'); William Boggan, Old Pound ('Onward'); Michael Williams, William Street ('Echo'); Martin Codd, Carrigeen St. ('Wave'); Patrick Hayes ('Vivid'); Patrick McCarthy, The Faythe ('Lucinda Jane'); John Lambert ('Tempest'); Luke Sheils, New St.

('Glenmore'); Thomas Hutchinson, The Faythe ('Seaflower'); George Hatchell ('Charles Walker'); John Kelly, Patrick Square ('Saltee'); T. King ('Hantoon'); Edward Cleary, Carrigeen St. ('Express'); Michael Rowe ('Slaney'); D. Cullen ('Forth'); James Walsh, William St. ('Kate'); Martin Leary ('Jewess'); C.

Morris, 20 William St. ('Independence'); Christopher Cahill ('Maud Annie'); Richard Wafer, The Faythe ('Marquis of Ely'); Peter Hewson, The Faythe ('Mary'); Peter Cogley, New St. ('Alert'); Michael Sheils ('Flame'); James Hart ('Henry'); John Reilly, High St. ('Sker'); Michael Neill ('Spray').

It is interesting to note the addresses where given in these records, except for 1 in John Street, none are further north than Church Lane or High Street while the vast majority are in the Faythe/William St. area.

In 1864, the Harbour Commissioners decided to build a pilot's house at Rosslare. A John Redmond, whose sureties were Robert Sparrow, won shipbuilder, and Richard Sparrow, ironmonger the contract.

The house, to consist of a sitting room (16 feet by 13 feet), kitchen store-room and bedrooms with offices, also a shed to hold small boats and stores and a wall enclosing ground lately taken under lease cost £240.

Still on the subject of building, on September 15th 1865, Wexford Harbour Commissioners;

"Ordered that we approve the erection of 3 privies on the quays. Signed John Barrington."

From the Wexford Almanac, we find a reference to a boy named Murphy from the Faythe dying in 1858

of Hydrophobia, which was a symptom of rabies. This was perhaps one of the disadvantages of a bustling port.

In